Andrew Wiggins back atop ratings after 19-point effort against WVU

1 - Andrew Wiggins: Knows how to beat the buzzer at the half. In Waco, he did it with a half-court shot. In this one, he slammed home a teammate’s miss. Played aggressively, but still not finishing a lot of shots near the hoop. Why? Probably a combination of not having the strength because he is so many years from filling out physically and flying at 200 mph when 100 mph would do the job just as well. Led KU with 19 points and mixed in four rebounds, three assists and two steals. Burned for two of Eron Harris’ three three-pointers early, Wiggins decided to “turn him into a driver,” and completely shut him down.

2 - Tarik Black: On a day Joel Embiid couldn’t stay out of foul trouble, Black stepped in and was a force at both ends. He’s more than a bruiser. He’s an athletic bruiser, as he showed when he took a low pass from Wiggins and so quickly flushed it. His totals, 11 points and four rebounds, don’t capture the impact he had on the game in the paint.

3- Wayne Selden: Trapped on the perimeter, Selden stepped through it and knew there should be an open man in the opposite corner. There was. Selden fired a beauty to Perry Ellis for an easy dunk. Had the hot hand (5 of 7 overall, 3 of 5 from three) and contributed 17 points. Strong effort, but again threw a bounce pass into a crowded lane.

4 - Frank Mason: It took starter Naadir Tharpe a while to get going. Chasing Juwan Staten all over the place can do that to a point guard. Mason stepped in and blended his aggressive style with smart play to set up teammates and take good care of the basketball. Had five points, five assists and did not turn it over.

5 - Joel Embiid: Limited to 17 minutes by foul trouble, he still managed 11 points, 12 rebounds and three blocked shots. Given his size advantage, this could have been a huge game for him had he stayed out of foul trouble.

6 - Naadir Tharpe: Played well down the stretch, sending the ball where it needed to go, but had trouble sticking with Staten, which gives him something in common with every other guard in the Big 12.

7 - Jamari Traylor: Again playing well when paired with Black, Traylor had a huge first half. Finished with seven points, three boards and two steals in 18 minutes.

8 - Perry Ellis: No reason he shouldn’t do a better job on the boards. Had a quiet eight points and four rebounds.

9 - Brannen Greene: Missed his only shot, but not by as much as he missed a pass, throwing it into the stands, sending coach Bill Self’s head into his hands.

10 - Landen Lucas: Trillion-club entry with one minute and zeroes across the board.